<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
.ancestors * {
	display: block;
	border: 2px solid lightgrey;
	color: lightgrey;
	padding: 5px;
	margin: 15px;
}
</style>
<script src="jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js">
	
</script>
<script>
	$(document).ready(function() {
		$("span").parents("ul").css({
			"color" : "red",
			"border" : "2px solid red"
		});
	});
</script>
</head>

<body class="ancestors">
	body (great-great-grandparent)
	<div style="width: 500px;">
		div (great-grandparent)
		<ul>
			ul (grandparent)
			<li>li (direct parent) <span>span</span>
			</li>
		</ul>
	</div>
</body>

</html>